Restoring a stretch of the Los Angeles River

CaptionA watering hole for avians

Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Water birds feed in the Los Angeles River near Griffith Park, where the waterway has a hardened concrete bed. The river was naturally an ephemeral, braided stream that would remain dry for months, only to rush with water during storms.

Water birds feed in the Los Angeles River near Griffith Park, where the waterway has a hardened concrete bed. The river was naturally an ephemeral, braided stream that would remain dry for months, only to rush with water during storms. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The restoration plan endorsed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would restore 588 acres of habitat along several key points of the river from Griffith Park to downtown.

The restoration plan endorsed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would restore 588 acres of habitat along several key points of the river from Griffith Park to downtown. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

After seven years of study, federal officials have recommended a $453-million plan that would restore an 11-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River but leave much of its banks steep and hard to reach, disappointing advocates who hoped for a more ambitious alternative that would allow more public access.